University of Nigeria Research Publications

TACHIA, Wata

A

utho

r

PG/MA/97/23736

Title

Self-Censorship and the Credibility of the Nigerian Press: An Investigation into the

First Gatekeepers Role

Facu

lty

Arts

Dep

artm

ent

Mass Communication

Dat

e

June, 2000

Sign

atur

e

TITLE PAGE

SELF -CENSORSHIP AND THE CREDIBILITY

OF THE NIGERIAN PRESS: AN

INVESTIGATION INTO THE FIRST GATE KEEPER'S ROLE.

A

RESEARCH PROJECT SUBMITTED

TO

THE DEPARTMENT OF MASS

COMMUNICATION, UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA

IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE

AWARD OF THE

MASTER OF ARTS (MA.) DEGREE IN MASS

COMMUNICATION

/ --- , r

. r r .

, - . ',

BY i

, >

TACHIA, WATA I

Tachia, Wata, a post-graduate student ofthe Mass Communication Department with the registration

number PG/MA/97/23736, has satisfactorily completed the requirements for the award ofthe Master of

Arts (M. A) degree in Mass Communication.

The work embodied in this project is original and has not been submitted in part or full for any diploma

or degree of this or any other university.

Dr. S.O. Idemili

(Supervisor)

T.N. Ogbodoh

(Head of Depcrrfmenr)

External Examins

The purpose ofthis study was to investigate,using the survey research method,how reporters, the first

gatekeepers, in Nigeria influence their news reports.

To achieve this, three research questions were used to guide the study The questions were: How do

reporters' activities affect press credibility? Why do the Nigerian reporters over censor themselves? What

can be done to improve Nigerian press credibility through the reporters?

In the course ofthe investigation, mPevant literature to the issue in discourse were reviewed.

Copies ofthe questionnaire were administered by the researcher to print media reporters in M h r d i and Lagos to reflect the geographical divisions ofNaeria.

The study revealed that reporters are not happy with the poor image of the profession. They also decry

the poor remuneration ofjoumalists.

Based on our findings, to redeem the image ofjournalists and their profession, a number of sugges-

tions were made. Some of these are: media proprietors should be made, by statute provisions, to respect

the lights ofjoumalists as dictated by the profession) Journalists should be $ven a separate salary structure

that is attractive;lournalists should be properly registered as is obtained iq professions like law, medicine

etc.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

......................................................................... Title Page.. ....................................................................... Certification.

......................................................................... Dedication. ............................................................... Acknowledgements.

Abstract.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............................................................. Table of contents..

....................................................................... List of tables..

Chapter one .................................................. Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..

............................................................ Statement of problem.. ........................................................... Theoretical framework..

............................................................... Research Questions.. ... ................................................... Scope and Limitations..

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . References.

Chapter Two ........................................................ Literature Review..

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . References.

Chapter three Research Methodology

.......................................................... Method of study.. ............................ Research Population and Sample..

................................................. Data Collection.. ..................................... Method of Data Analysis..

....................................................... References.

Chapter four ...................................................... Data Analysis and findings..

Chapter five ............................... Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations..

Bibliography. ................................................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Appendix.

vi

Page 1 . . 11 ... 111

iv v v i vii

1 5 6 6 7 8

9 19

2 1

LIST OF TABLES

Page

Table1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. ...... ... ..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Table 2 ............................................................................... 27

Table 3 ............................................................................... 28

Table 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Table 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

................................................................................ Table 6 34

Table 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

CHAPTER ONE

The media are a source of power (Mcquail 1977:91).

They have a lot of influence on the modern man and his world. That is

why their potency made Oscar Wilde, an American Aiournalist, to observe

that, "In America, the president reigns for four years, but journalism

governs forever".

In a complex world where information is vital, people attend to the media

to pick up pieces of information, which gradually accumulate into

composite representation of issues and candidates (Neuman 1987). No

wonder, their choice in the electoral process may be based on what they

learn from the media.

The media also raise issues or topics that generate public discourse. By

doing so, the media's agenda might well become the personal agenda of

concern of members of the audience (Lowery and De Fleur I983:444).

Mr. Bill Clinton's sex scandal, the issue of pay rise in.the Nigerian civil

service, the present transition to democratic n ~ l e in Nigeria, among

others, attract discourse through the media. And asain, the media have

provided the platform for the exchange of views anti ideas.

They give legitimacy and provide what Lazarsfeld and Merton referred to

as " status-conferral" function (Lowery and De Fleur 1983). Thus, an

acknowledgement is given to certain persons and their positions in the

\. /uu. .--,. l l l V J C L l V C. 111.1- V V b V V U U I I C L L U ' - " * ~ , 1 , " 1 . , W L l U L I I V & " I C I 1 1 I , A ' . 1 1 1 u 3 . ,

people know the political missions of political aspirants through them.

Similarly, politicians understand their problems and fears through the

r -- - - - - - - - - -

by giving us a critical analysis of public events and poiicies. It is

supposed to promote effective popular participation in government by

keeping us informed, sophisticating our choices and sensitizing us to our

rights and, obligations. The press is supposed to f~s te ; national unity by

.being a communication point for the heterogeneous groups in the

society".

Due to their powerfulness, the media play the advocacy role for the less

privileged or the weak in society. They are "the defenders and trustees of

the legitimate demands, rights and expectations of the popuIace" (Unoh

1988:39), They handIe issues concerning human rights abuses, injustice,

the protection of the minorities from the stronger groups in society. They

even arbitrate in situations of social tension.

The prestigious position and influence the

continue to have on society, come from public

: media have, and would

: trust. In Nigeria, that trust

louses suffer becaus

tic terms, the fortunc n . . . .

Presently, media 1. e public confidence in them has

dropped. In realis E=S of any media house depend on

the quality and scope or its stones served to the public. This is what can

attract respect and patronage of its product. To be able to earn these, a

media house needs to have good reporters.

Logically, therefore, it is the media with good reporters which capture

"the atmosphere of public affairs" (Wilson 1967:43) that can earn public

r n n f r r l ~ n r ~ A c thrh rnirial facfnr tn Aetermino m d i ~ ' c ximrth rannrterc V V . . I I U V . & V V . 1 LY C L I V ".UVIU. L U V L V I C V U I , . W L I I L . I ' U L I I U V I ' L 0 V I V L L I I , L C I , , V I L U L L I ,

the first nate keeuers (White 1950:83-390)- occunv a nositian which.

a's voice is clear in a comment i l l The Guardian On

; 1 9 9 R I n hic rnnrl~mnat;nn h~ cave L c A I I crnwernm~nt

newspapers don't have merit. Their news slant is terrible - their

selectivity, lan~uage and hooks, their treatment of news. Why shouldn't

the government newspaper die? "

Self-censorship, the charge against government mec'ia, applies to private

national newspapers too. They have lost their voices, courage and the

drive to call a spade a spade. This development, it is feared, will deny .*. . - . . . . n - s. . I 1 ,< . .. . ~ ~ g e r ~ a n journausm tne orana or journausts wno aare to --pu~llsn ana

perish"

Many are equally worried about the credibility of the press. Their quarrel

is that journalism is ignoring basic literary styles and ethics. Unoh

(1 988: 13) is worried about "mercenary reporters" \\.I10 confuse.

To address the accusations against the Nigerian press, the first gatekeeper

is the starting point. He is equally the first culprit in the credibility

charge. In stressing the point that the press needs to galvanize the people

for develc has to be acknowledged too, that, such a press must

be articul, :nsitive to the heterogeneity and odds of the society.

Such a press needs to train journalists "to be comprehensive and

integatkd (Onadipe1998:252).

The tnnnnrrilrie n r rnp nrnnlem i c tnn tmirh tn h ~ lpft c n l ~ l v with

This aevelopment IS plamea on

"make the initial judgment as to \

(White l950:383-390).

The press IS an ~mportant social organ. And the reporter is vital in

1.5 TBEORETlCAL FRAMEWORK

The gatekeeping theory has been adopted to give the theoretical

framework for this study.

It was the late Kurt Lewin, a great social scientist, who evolved the

gatekeeping theory. He reasoned that whether food passed through the

channel or not was determined by the gatekeeper.

According to White (1950), Journalism adopted this theory to analyse

how news flows from the reporter, the first gatekeeper, and other line

editors into the mass media. The selection and the rejection of some news

items generally make the process a difficult one. Ot~ce made however, the

stories determine the news quality of the media.

The credibility of the media is then tied to the reporters. If they muzzle

up themselves through self imposed censorship, their media will be

affected. It is in the same vein that reporters generally influence the

public's perception of the press.

L L,

editors, editors etc

Similarly, the study is not focused on ownership control, editorial policy

or press laws as they may affect media credibilit?. In the same way,

Human arlu 1iIiaric;ial c u n s ~ r a ~ r ~ ~ s limited the collection of data. It was not

easy to ,pet iournalists to respond to the questionnaire because of their

time-bou nd schedules and the demands of their beats.

The dictaies ul 11r11e ~ u u olu I IVL aslow ine Iesaarcrier to endlessly chase

responde

retrieve most UI rrie copes or me rpeswunnam aarnlnisiereu.

Hgoa, L. raul, ( l r m ) I ne cruaralan on wnaav

Ake, Claude (1984) "Press Freedom, Accountability and Good

Governance", The Guardian on Sundav, July 29.

Anderson, H. AL (1 977) "An Empirical Investigation of What Social

Responsibility Theory Means". Journafism Quarterly, Volume 54.

ldemili, Samuel. 0. (1984) "Responsibility in News Reporting",

Television Journal, April-June - - . - -. . ..-a - - .. ..- - . .. *

, Lang, Kurt and Lam. CTladvs ( I Ybb 1 " 1 he Mass Medlan and Votln~" In

Be h

n n t n r n n o n r i f ' n t m m r n n ; r l t t n n k r n m LJrrrac R l n ~ l r Vnrlr

- 2

rnard Berelson and . . . -

- dorrls Jarawitz (eds) Reader in public

. - - .. - * . W l J l l l r v l l u 1 r u L,LfllllllUlIlbCLLlW, L l b b 1 I k J J , 1 Y k V 1 U l r r .

J, Shearon A and De Fleur, Melville (1983) alestones in Mass - . .. ... . - .. -- - .. -. '

Loweq

L'ommunlcatlon Kesearch: Medla mects, Longman. New Y ork.

Linto

- n, Bruce A (1987) "Self-Regulation in Broadcasting Revisited"

Journalism Quarterly, Summer-Autumn

ail, Denis (1 977) "The Influence and Effects of Mass Media" in . . P . , , - , m T n m e n ,+ n l h 4 n n n P r r p r r m . . r \ r n n + l n r r o n r l C n p ; a + t r Crl..,n+A

important socla1 tunctlon ot lntl~lenclng and shapmg ideas as well as

opinions. The way they practice their profession which is. replete with

In the~r suclal stnice, me rneula men uo lrlucri mure. The role of the

investigative iournalist is to auestion and urobe the actions of all those in

a

i I

ornouasmansnlp nrncrmn ensures rnat rneulclerq anu u ~ s r ~ u r ~ t t s ~ y uu ~ i v i

thwart society's effort or intension to have a decent social environment

for the pursuit of the general good.

- uthority a1 ~d to expose them whenever there is abuse of power,

ncornpetence, corruption or other de"iations (UNESCO, 1984: 234). The 1 . . 1 - I.!-. C A:-- . I - _ * -_--I 2:-t L_. J- -^A

In all parts of the world, according to Villard (19a4:4), the media that are

committed are affected bv a uublic interest. This, based on the need for

L I I V I I C3pV1131ULlLLY nlku I L I l a V l l I ~ Y , l l ~ t could he1 p the press to retain

its the power to influence public opinion and to chart the course

for social stabilit~ wth and political consciousness.

To ray from the "mission". That was why in

Way s L I I I I I K I I ~ ~ (IYUY.I I ) , L I I ~ American press at a particular time, wes

accused of "operating as if its circulation and its usefulness depended on

. . the second hand of the clock rather than the depth of perception, the

accuracy fits coverage, and the balance of

, its judgm

The press was amu L I I U G I Z ~ U N I ILS .r;reeping bias. laziness, inaccuracy,

and the sins of omission. President Thomas Jefferson's criticism of it was

tn nrlrl r l n i ~ t tn t h ~ rnnllemn~tinn when h e cnirf t h n t "The m9n whn npvpr "- --- -..,-. "- -.-- -U-.-.,-...'~..V.., .," -.. ,.- ...... ..-. ......- .... ., ..-. v.

looks into a newspaper is more informed than he who reads them". Even

though he later changed his opinion, the earlier critical view speaks a lot

about the mess of the time.

Remedy ful CllG l l l ~ d ~ a ' ~ Image, lies in balancing the art of presentation,

satisfying popular taste and abiding by accuracy. That is why MerriI's

(1974) position that a broad enough definition of social respbnsibility can

easily turn a .. . press into a mobilized one, controlled by politicians or

public opinion is controversial and antithetical to the cherished definition

of the press' social responsibility role. Anderson (1973:33-39) counters

this position and identifies social responsibility as

"freedom/responsibility" dimension composed of items that deal both

with social duty, social responsibility and freedom of the press.

In agreeing w m Lwaerson s position, it needs highligh,ting that the press

is useful only when it serves the public ir

f 1981.5) hr ther arnues must be carried nu

- - -

erest. Such services, Koss

even if sympathetic to any political party. But to take orders from a party

political office, he reasons, is what any serious press should not do.

In Nigeria, according to Edoga - Ugwuoju, the first major trial in

objectivity for the Nrgerian Press came in 1922 when democratic

elections were conducted courtesy of the Clifford constitution. x r . I A 1. - n . 1 I * I . n m t

:a1 and journalistic * . 0 . 3 ..

newspapers mar came up sucn as u r . rucnara ,wanwale sage s a

Nigerian Spectator and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe's West African Pilot gave

expression to increased political and nationalist conscibusness The later

. particularly started .ic

propaganda (Edoaa u~wuolu I Y W : I Y ~ ) . ~ u t tne journa~tsm or tne tlme

was gro 11 environment. The urgent need to

fight for and obtain Independence rrom a form of government that was

harsh and unacceptable to the local people called for the employment of

the strength it could muster to fight the enemy, the colonial authority.

- - ssly influenced by the politics

. , . b e ,-

ore newspapers. Between 193 1 and 195 I, according to ,.,\ . . F I t t 1' .. 1 . - , = T - .

To overcome the enormous power which the private press acquired and

continued to display, the colonial government before independence

established m

Momoh (198s: I I), it rounaea slx puPlmrlo:ls, ,lamely Jariaa lulgeria,

Gaskiva Tafi Kwabo, Nige

Children's Own Newspaper. I ne rtrsr rnree were punrlsnea in luortnern

~ i ~ e r i a n and the rest in Lagos. Others such as !-tern News was cited in

lbadan, Eastern Outlook and Camerooq State were in Enugu. The

- ---

rian Citizen, The hieerian Review and

establishment of private newspapers in different geographical areas was

to later affect their editorial content and their news slant. They became

part of the new regional political interests that emerged with the

attainment of independence. '-

Such press concerned with regional, tribal or myopic interests

cun~ulatively affected or affects press credibility and has thus remained a

bane than a blessing.

In terms of ownership, however, government even assumed a larger

degree of proprietorship after independence. This move was, and is,

predicated in the belief that development could be better achieved with

the press being used to generate goodwill towards government

programmes and policies, even when unpopular.

The military is particularly a culprit of this charge. The hold on the press

has continued to affect media products and their credibility generally.

This conforms with Mercardos' (1973:43) Media Subservience Theory,

which, professing developmental concerns, indeed serves the selfish,

unpopular goals of those in government.

In general terms, therefore, the media have been abused in Nigeria even

under democratic settings. For example, the print media in the second

republic, according to Duyile (1983:88-89), busied themselves with more

politics than social and economic responsibilities in which they ought to

provide leadership and guidance. Osoba (1985:9-13) agrees that the

history of the Nigerian press during that period was indeed a sad one as

the newspaper operators assumed the role of propagandists. The situation

was such that without exception, government newspapers became organs

of whatever political party that seemed likely to control the state in which

they were published. In Dare's view (1985:9), too, by and large, privately

- owned newspapers espoused the public interest in so far as it was

concerned with the interest of their owners.

To hrther affect media credibility has been the fixation with political

parties which was so much that some media houses even rehsed to carry

paid advertisements of those who belonged to different political parties.

A celebrated case according to Ekwelic (1986: 100) was that in the second

republic when a paid advertisenmt on the visit of the Vice-president of

Nigeria, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, to Anambra State then controlled by the

NPP was refbsed by both the Anambra Broadcasting Corporation and

Anambra Television because the federal government was IWN

controlled. This ugIy situation compelled Ekwelie to conclude that some

media houses simply became party organs. Assuming such roles, Ekweli

(1986:104) argues, they caused so much anarchy that state radio-

television stations were pitched a~ainst their federal counterparts with

objectivity and fairness as the casualties.

Reporters were consequently criticisied by Osoba ( I 985: 9- 13) because

their performance.. . "was nothing to write home about. As the most vital

link to the editor, one would have expected from them a total

commitment to the ethics of our noble profession". Dare (1985:9) agrees

that many a journalist sold, his soul and craft to the highest political

bidder to indeed any one who put a bid. Instead of clarifying the issues

for the public, the press obfiscated them"

Politics apart, some Nigerian journalists, have the colonial hangover,

which has led to the evolution of a particular form of journalism which

came to be described by lMarvick (1962:48-53) as "uncritical

negativism". This is a situation where the press at all times is opposed to

government. It thus defines itself as an opponent or antagonist of

government than an objective reporter, commentator operating for the

society's good.

In a situation where the press loses its prestige and credibility, it is no

longer endearing to practitioners. Based on these, Pye ( 1 966: 163- 167)

argues that many journalists who care about their reputation would

p l ~ b ~ ~ b i ) leave tllci~ profession i T they had a choice, and those who

remain may do so because they are incapable of finding employment

elsewhere. This has been the situation in Nigeria where a lot of

journalists, especially the very experienced ones, leave the profession for

public relations or other professions.

Looking at media credibility further, Kang (1988:56), in, his study in

professional commitment, found that high occupational commitment

comes from economic benefits. In other words, entering into Journalism

as a personal disposition or style and enjoying the power of .influence are

considerations that aredear to media men. But these must not be needs in

themselves as we shall show later, in this work. After a study that

measured journalists' professional attitudes, Ruofolo (1 988:97) suggested

that Brazilian journalists with relatively high professional orientation

fared well on the public service dimension with high regard for

objectivity and Iow desire for prestige. Costa Rican journalists appeared

to have few restraints on their decision-making: they showed low

dependence on publishers, sources, or government when making editorial

judgments. Nevertheless, their professional orientation scores implied

rigorous social control.

The implication of these studies, applicable even to Nigeria, is that,

professional attitude accounts for performance which invariably affects

commitment and social responsibility and it is these that breed credibility.

These are the roots of credibility in the press, in the Fong run.

Gaziano and McGrath (1987:3 17-3 13) take an even fbrther dimension in

establishing credibility which they trace to declining newspaper

readership, press rights and privileges as well as the way people feel

between themselves and their newspaper. Such indicators of distance

between journalists and the public are in demographic characteristics

(better education and econon~ic position); low community involvement,

journalists' attitudes towards their readers especially by underestimating

reader's news interests and holding a condescending view of their

audiences. This is a charge that may be misplaced on Nigerian and indeed

African journalism as a whole.

If most of Africa's media practitioners face a day-to-day struggle for

survival making the profession a fragile and fractious one, then, the

distance between journalists and the people could not have come from an

economically privileged position. Instead, as Onadipe (1 998:262)

indicates, what the African media need is to be economically viable as

well as being armed with modern equipment, training . and conflict

analysis. He argues further the need to protect and promote media

independence.. .and the rights of journalists to report freely and

responsibly is the headache of the media.

The problem of the Nigerian press though partly derives from (harsh)

economic pressures. It has a credibility crisis which can also be traced to

absence or low training of journalists. As pointed out earlier in this work,

the problems of the Nigerian press cannot be solved only from without.

The media experts insist that professionalism and responsibility must be

stepped up.

According to UNESCO findings (1 98 1 : 19), self-censorship especially in

situations where freedom of speech is not openly attacked is partly traced

to reporters' timidity. In such a situation, therefore, the prevailing

political atmosphere could not necessarily account for reporters' docility.

To agree with this point, great Nigerian journalists like the late Ernest

Ikoli, Herbert Macaulay, it needs to be stressed that Nnamdi Azikiwe and

Dele Giwa made their marks on journalism in the most inclement of

times.

In line with the above, journalists' understanding of the prevailing times

and thus employing tact and the carefill avoidance of emotions in their

reports, without essentially mutilating the soul of events or issues, they

could sail through at all times Also, their credibility would not suffer.

This school of thought believes that the kind of language useu ur 111e

choice of words used by reporters becomes very important.

To attain objectivity, it is hrther stressed that the reporters'

understanding of the terrain is necessary. For example, the temptation to

misinterprete politicians when they engage in war of words or even

physical combats as was witnessed in the past republics, and the present

one, must be avoided by reporters. Agreeing with this view, Mencher

(1983:39) counsels that a journalist must be close enough - physically

and emotionally -- to his or her subject to understand what is being

observed. At the same time, the journalist must maintain a certain

distance to keep things in perspective.

It is in view of these that the criticism of the press for its self-censorship

has continued even now that democracy has been reintroduced since May

29, 1999. For instance, the same medium, The N e w magazine, whose

properly investigated story on the former speaker of the House of

Representatives, Alhaji Ibrahim Salisu Buhari, led to his resignation was

caught dragging its feed and even defending Governor Bola Tinubu of

Lagos State on charges of perjury and forgery.

But what was expected of The News first, was to investigate the

allegations. Unfortunately, it did not do so. Similarly, the long silence

shared by the media generally before breaking the Buhari news has

continued to affect the press in a negative way. That the Buhari story

almost vegetated and died according to Adio wouldn't have been for lack

of information. This wouId have been a failure of nerves, the paucity of

journalistic morals. The fact is that a huge portion of the press had been

cotnpromjsed because many journalists have been heavily settled, and

they put their critical faculties on hold. This is essentially true of the

trading pack in Abuja, for whom news had become another name for

merchandise.

This sad development and not characters like Buhari is the greatest

danger to the fledgling democracy. No democracy can thrive without an

informed citizenry. Without the press pushing forth adequate and

necessary information,. . . an informed citizenry could only be a mirage

and democracy an illusion (Adio1999:40).

Adio's verbal acid poured on Nigerian reporters, interestingly, clearly

reveals the other source of seIf-censorship and how it affects the media's

image. This is the role of money in influencing reporters especially (in

keeping quiet) in the face of glaring social defects. AS he has rightly

pointed out, the press has the role to play in protecting democracy by

promoting the spirit of accountability, probity and all the values that

would help in building a just society in which citizens' social, economic

and political lives are secured. To do otherwise, the press would be

sacrificing its ascribed role to society.

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Anderson, H. A1 (1977), "An Emperical Investigation of What Social Responsibility Theory Means", Journalism Quarterly, Volume 54.

Adio, Waziri (1999) Thisday on Sunday, July 25,

Dare, Olatunji (1 985) "The Responsibilities of the Press", The Guardian January 3 .

Dympna, Edoga Ugwuoju (1 984) "Ownership Patterns of Nigerian Newspapers, Gazette 33.

Duyile, Dayo (1989), Media and Mass Communication in Nigeria, Gona Communication Nigeria Ltd.

Ekwelie, Sylvanus A. (1 986). The Nigerian Press Under Civilian RuIe" in Journalism Quarterly, Spring.

Gaziano, Cecilie and McGrath, Kristin (1987) "Newspaper Credibility and Relationships of Newspaper Journalists to Communities," Journalism Quarterly.

Jefferson, Thomas ( I 967) The Artillerv of the Press, Harper and Row, New York.

Kang, J. M. (1988). "Reporters and Their Professional and Occupational Commitment in Developing Country," Communication Abstracts, Volume I 1.

Koss, Stephen, (1 98 1) The Rise and Fall of the Political Press in Britain, Volume 1.

Marvick, Dwain (1 96 I), Political Decision-Makers, Glencoe Free Press.

Mercardo, Johnny "Development Reporting: Some Observations," Malavsian Journalism Review, 2 (No. 1) 1973

Merril, John C. (1974), The Imperative of Freedom, Hastings House Publishers, New York.

Mencher, Melvin (1983), Basic News Writing; W.C. ~ f o w n Company Publishers, Iowa.

Onadipo, Abiodun (1998). "The Media in Nigeria: In the Eye of the Storm", )Vest Africa 23 February -1 March.

Osoba, Segun (1 985),"Press and Government", a n d a y Times, May 19.

Pye, Lucian W. (1985), Aspects of Political Development, Little Brown, Boston.

Ruofolo,A. (1988) "Professional Orientation Among Journalists in Three Latin American countries" in Communication Abstracts Volume 11.1, March

Scott, Tunde (1984) "The Role of the Television Journalist in Nigeria" in Television Journal, April - June

Villard, Oswald Garrison (1944), The Disappearing Daily, Alfred K. Knopf, New York.

Ways, Max (1973), A Free and Responsive Press: The 20"' century Task Force Report for a National News Council, New York.

UNESCO Report (1 98 I), Manv Voices, One WorlL, Tbadan University Press, Ibadan.

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 METHOD OF STUDY

The survey research method has been adopted, because of the nature of

the study which is to investigate how the first gatekeeper's role accounts

for the lack of credibility of the press.

The survey research method is deemed appropriate because its use in

journalism provides for reliable interpretations and generalizations.

Another advantage of the survey method, according to Osuala

(1982: 181), is that it is the most appropriate procedure that could elicit

the required responses in finding solutions to the problem under

investigation. Other advantages of survey research are that it creates

abundant data, it is easy to collect and less expensive.

In designing the research irzstruments, both psychographic and

demographic features of the population were considered. Those to be

surveyed were generally literate.

This informed the choice to adopt only the questionnaire to collect data

and information. The questionnaire has therefore been designed in such a

manner that all vital data needed were obtained from the respondents.

The first part of the questionnaire covered demographic variables such as

age, sex, educational qualifications, marital status and so on. The second

part takks care of attitudes, views, experiences as well as relationship

with the editor (news) with a view to finding out what informs

respondents' choice of news.

The survey instruments were designed in such a way that other vital

information that could lead to self-censorship was included. These centre

on whether any of the respondent's stories in the past attracted litigation

from members of the public, the law or the respondent warned by the

editor for (previous) choice of news.

To achieve the goal of the study, some of the questions were opened-

ended while others where closed-ended. This method gave respondents

the opportunity to say exactly what they felt.

The instruments were careMly designed considering the psychological,

socialogical and even economic variables that could lead to self-

censorship. The instruments were pre-tested randomly and 'areas noticed

to be ambiguous or capable of embarrassing respondents were reframed

or removed.

The questionnaire was self-administered for some reasons. One of these

is that our postal services are unreliable to ensure a high response rate;

another was to give a personal touch to the exercise (Peil, Niche1 and

Remmez 1982: 1 11).

3.2 . RESEARCH POPULATION AND SAMPLE

To sampIe is one of the key strategies in survey research. The need for

sampling stems from the following: the large size of the population or

universe, and inadequacy of the required resources (manpower, expertise,

finance, material) for carrying out the research make sampling inevitable.

The ideal population for the study is all the reporters in the country. But

due to the shortage of resources, the research was limited to journalists in

two states, Lagos and Benue, representing the major geographical

divisions of Nigeria, North and South. In these, the sample was found to

satisfy the research goal.

Copies of the questionnaire were given to print media reporters in each of

the states. Copies of the questionnaire to be administered in the two states

will be 100. Eighty in Lagos and 20 in Makordi respectively.

3.3 DATA COLLECTION

Distributing the questionnaire only to the print media reporters had to be

carehlly done to reflect the goal of the research. Reporters of

government-owned as well as privately owned media organizations were

given copies of the questionnaire.

To get journalists all at once at the press centres was difficult. The

researcher had to take a long time each day to ~ e t those who came around

and did so for a number of days to administer all the copies of the

questionnaire.

3.4 METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS

The data that was collected for this study has been presented in simple

table of frequency distributions and percentages. This method was

adopted because it is considered a suitable means of breaking down the

statistical data, with a view to relating it to the research problem, and by

so doing presenting the findings arrived at in such a way that the goals of

the work will be achieved.

Presentations are followed by discussion of findings.

REFERENCES

Osunla, E. C. (1 987) Introduction to Research Methodology, Africans -

PEP Publishers Ltd, Onitsha,

Peil, Margaret, et a! ( I 982) Social Science Research Methods: An

African Handbook, Hodder and Stoughton, London.

CHAPTER FOUR

Data Analysis and Findings .

A total of 100 copies of the questionnaire were distributed to

respondents by the researcher. Out of this number, 90 copies were

returned. A breakdown showed that out of the 80 copies distributed in

Lagos, only 70 copies were returned. However, all the 20 copies shared

out in Makurdj were painstakingly recovered from respondents.

The analysis in this chapter was therefore based on this number.

Question I: Data on the gender of respondents showed that seventy five

or 83.3% of those surveyed were male while fifteen were female.

Table 1

Gender Distribution of Respondents

I Male 1 75 1 83.3%

I Female . 1 l 5 1 16.7%

Question 2

That is, the age distribution of respondents showed that sixteen or 17.8%

of the respondents fell in the age bracket of I8 -30 years; sixty five or

72.2% fell in the age bracket of 3 1 -40 years while nine or 10% were

between 4 1-50 years or above.

Table 2: Ace distributions of respondents

pz&&i-- I No of respondents I Percent of respondents

1 41 -50 and above 1 9 1 10%

Question .3: The marital status of respondents indicated that sixty three

or 70% were married while twenty seven or 30% were not married.

Question 4: What is your qualification: FSLC, GCE/SSCE,

Dip/NCE,RSc/BA/HNTI,MSc/MA.

On the educational of respondents, the survey showed that none fell

under first school leaving Certificate or the GCE/ SSCE/. However, forty

three or 47 8% had Diploma /NCE, forty two or 46.7% had BA, B.Sc. or

HND while five or 5.5% had MA/M Sc

Table 3 Qualification Distribution of Respondents .

No. Of respondents Percent of respondents

Total 90 100

Question 5: State your years of experience 1-5; 6 -1 0; 1 1 and above.

On the experience of respondents, forty five or 50 % said that they had

worked .as reporters between 1 -5 years; forty or 44. 4 % worked for

between 6 -10 years while five or 5. 6 % worked for more than eleven

years.

Question 6: How many media houses have you worked for?

It was discovered that twenty five worked for four media house; twenty

seven for three media houses; twenty six or 28.9% for two while twelve

or 13.3% were currently working with one media organization.

Question 7: Is your present organization Government owned? Yes or

NO

On the ownership of the media houses the respondents worked for, thirty

five or 35.9% indicated that they worked for government media while

fifty five or 61.9% worked for private media.

Question 8: Are you independent in choosing news?

Thirty-two or 35.6% of the respondents answered that they were not free

to choose their news items while fifty eight or 64.4% said that they were

free in choosing news.

Question 9: Asked, if it was public, organizational or personal interest

that determines their news selections,

Ninety or 100% of the respondents showed that their news selection was

.based on public value. None indicated that his news selection was based

on the organizational nor personal interests.

Question 10: Are your stories sometimes rejected?

None of the 90 respondents surveyed showed that his news was rejected

many times. However, eighty-five or 94.4% indicated that their news was

sometimes rejected while eighty-five or 94.4% said that their news stories

were never rejected.

Question 11: If many times, why?

None of the respondents answered this question because none indicated

that his news was rejected many times.

Question 12: Do you write "HO~" stories? Yes or No

Of the ninety respondents, sixty-six or 73.3% showed that they did not

write hot stories while twenty four or 26.7% showed that they wrote hot

stories.

Question 13: If yes, do you think they were heavily edited?

Out of the ninety respondents, twenty-four or 26.7% showed that their

stories were heavily edited while sixty-six or 70% showed that they were

not heavily edited.

Question 14: Such (heavily edited) stories are on what?

This question was not answered by sixty-three or 70% of the respondents

while twenty-seven or 30% indicated that such stories were on

government activities.

Question 15: Precisely, why do you control yourself7

Forty five or 50% of the respondents showed that they were afraid of

being charged for libel, twenty five or 27.8% of the respondents showed

that they did not want to step on the toes of poweh l members of society.

However, nine or 10% of the respondents did not answer this question.

Qr~estion 16: State in your opinion how the Nigerian reporter should

have more rights. Eighty seven or 96% of the respondents expressed their

desire that reporters should have unhindered access to inforination; three

or 3.3% did not state their view.

Question 17: 1s Journalism satisfying to you due to service to society,

economic gains or respects from society?

Seventy-six or 84.4% of the respondents showed that service to society

accounted for their venturing into journalism. None indicated that, public

respect for them encouraged them to get into journalism.

Question 18: Please explain if the profession is not satisfying. Fifty or

553% of the respondents showed that they were not satisfied with the

profession due to poor remuneration and poor conditions of service;

thirty eight or 42.2% indicated that the public or society did not

understand the role of the press hence they saw reporters as their

enemies, two or 2.2% respondents remained indifferent to the question.

Question 19: State if management control, fear of prosecution,

harassme~t or public considerations account for your self-censorship.

Forty two or 46.7% showed that both management control, fear of

prosecution by the state and harassment from individuals accounted for

their self - censorship, thirty five or 38.9% were particularly afraid of

been prosecuted eight or S.9% showed they were afraid of harassment by

individuals while five or 5.6% were influenced by public considerations.

Question 20: Have you ever chatted with the police about your stories?

Seventy-eight or 86.7% showed that they have never chatted with the

police because of their stories. Twelve or 13.3% of the respondents

showed that they have chatted with the police because of their news

stories.

Question 21: If yes, how many times have you chatted with the police

because of your news stories?

Twelve or 13.2% of the respondents indicated that they have chatted with

the police about their news stories. A break down showed that eight or

9.3% chatted with the police once while four or 5.2% chatted with the

police more than once.

Question 22: Which do you dread most: Having conflict. with the

law, management or both?

The survey showed that twenty or 22.2% were afraid of conflict with the

law, twenty-four or 26.7% were afraid of conflict with management

while forty six or 5 1.1% were afraid of both the law and management.

Question 23: State reasons why you control (censor) yourself

Seventy-cne or 78.9% of the respondents showed that they were afraid of

having pmblems.

Eighteen or 20% claimed that, they censored themselves because they

wanted to serve the public well.

But one or 1.1% of the respondents however remained indifferent

to the question.

Question 24: Have you ever been sacked; given a query or warned for

the news story you wrote?

Table 4

1 I No. of Respondents I Percent of Respondents

Sacked

I Total 1 90 1 100

-

Warning 8.9

83.3

To find out how respondents have been affected by the type of news they

wrote; nane showed that they had ever been sacked. because of their

news Seven or 7 8 % showed that they had been given official queries

for the news they wrote, eight or 8.9 % indicated they were given

warning bv management.

However, seventy-five or 83 3 % showed that they have never been

sacked, queried or given oficial warning for the type of news they wrote.

Question 25: In your opinion, how can the press win public respect?

Eighty-five or 94.42% of the respondents showed that objectivity,

balanced stories, and public interest news would give the Nigerian press

respect. Five or 5.6% of the respondents felt that more education for

reporters is necessary to give the press respect.

Qilestion 26: 1s Journalism your dream profession?

Table 5

I Yes 1 3 8 1 32.2 I--

To ascertain if respondents saw journalism as their dream profession,

fiAy two or 57.8 % showed that it was not their dream profession while

No. of respondents

thirty cigh or 42.27'0 showed it was their dream profession.

Percent of respondents

Question 27: State whether it is your dream profession or not.

Fifty or 55.6% of the respondents showed that they ventured into

journalism by accident and not by design. Thirty-seven or 41.1% showed

that though the love the profession, three or 3.3% however remained

indifferent to the question.

Question 28: Will you accept if offered appointment elsewhere?

Table 6:

Fifty-one or 56.7 % of the respondents surveyed showed that they would

be willing to leave journalism for other profession if offered appointment

there. Thirty-nine or 43.3 % however preferred to remain as journalists.

No. of Respondents

Question 29: In your opinion, do you think that the Nigerian public is

served the best news by your news medium?

Fifty or 55.6% of those surveyed showed that their news medium gave

the public the best news; thirty eight or 42.2% said that they were not

satisfied with the news served the public: two or 2.2% of the respondents

however remained indifferent to the question.

Percents , of

Respondents

Question 30: Which do you want improved on in the Nigerian media,

news quality or style or both?

Tnhle 7

No. of respondents Percent of

respondents

News Quality 26 28.9

Style 17 15.9

47 52.2

Total 90 100.

The survey showed that twenty-six or 28.9 % of the respondents were not

satisfied with the news quality produced by the Nigerian press; seventeen

or 18.9 % of those surveyed were not satisfied with the style of the press

while forty seven or 52.2 % did not approve of both the news quality and

style.

CHAPTER 5

5.1 Srrmm;lry, Conclusion and Recommendations

This work has clearIy established that besides the law and ownership

control, the Nigerian reporter censors himself for more than can be said

to be for the public good. Also, the findings in this study show that

reporters are not satisfied with their profession hence the credibility gap

'that is bound to exist.

What has been clearly established is that journalism in Nigeria lacks

those with the wealth of experience, the type of people to make the

profession tick. The study shows hrther that people go into the

profession only to desert it after getting other Iucrative or more

financially rewarding appointments elsewhere. Besides, it has become a

profession for all-comers who may be educated in other fields but lack

adequate professional backing.

It is also found from the survey that labour movement, among reporters

in the media houses, is not very high due to absence of alternative jobs..

The implication is that the reporter who is not contented rather than move

to another media house is forced to part ways with journalism entirely

once he gets a better appointment in another field.

From our survey, there is no indication that non-Government owned

media reporters are satisfied with their conditions of service or

remunerations, discontentment seems to characterize the entire media

landscape Apart from financial rewards, Journalists, as the survey shows,

are not happy with the way society regards them. This is why the

respondents did not indicate that they were encouraged into journalism

because of the respect society accords them. The implicatiori of this is not

healthy for a profession that is supposed to work for the public interest,

by first winning their support and co-operation for effective service.

Reporters, whether in private or government media, from our survey,

indicated that they were free in selecting news. Also, the survey shows

that their stories were not heavily edited. The implication is that reporters

study the environment and then have framed-up minds on, what news

stories to write and those to avoid hence most of their stories are hardly

rejected by their editors.

In addition to the above, our study shows that reporters are individually

self- restrained and so aware that their stories or their-media houses are

not performing in the pubiic interest. But, ironically, however,

respondents claimed to be driven by public interest in their choice of

news. The study has shown too that there is no way the credibility

probletn of the press in Nigeria can be adequately tackled without

addressing the economic interests of reporters. Similarly, the education of

journalists is very vital, but the Nigerian situation is that people in other

discipIines seem to have taken over the profession. In addition to these,

the political environment has not been conducive thus encouraging self-

censorship as a survival strategy for reporters.

This is perhaps why many, especially non-professionals, are ready to

move out of the profession on discovering that journalism is not

economically viable. The point suggested by the study is that a trained

reporter who knows exactly that journalism is a calling (to serve society)

acc.epts the sacrifices, hazards and difficulties and will be more

physically and psychologically prepared to abide by the ethics of the

profession

On the other hand, courage to speak and stand bv the truth is lacking in

Ni2erian reporters. Our survey has clearly shown that the fear of being

detained by the police, charged to court or harassed by influential

members of society or sacked by employers greatly influenced the

reporters in their choice of stories. The scenario, the survey showed, is

that reporters simply avoid stories that would lead them into any

problem

In line with the above, the survey has shown that Nigerian reporters dread

anything that would expose them or t'heir families to economic hardships

or embarrassments.

Taking all these into consideration, it is therefore, difficult for the

Nigerian reporter to fblfill his role to society. As the survey indicated,

respondents though profess to be serving society, agree on hrther

probing that the news quality and the method of presentation (style) are

not meeting the needs of society and professional standards.

5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS.

,It is instructive to state that the credibility problem o f . the press is

universal and not exceptional to Nigeria. What however should bother

our situation, is its magnitude which has become pervasive and

embarrassing to the profession and society. .

To improve the i~nage or credibility of the press, reporters need to be

trained and retrained to brace up constantly with the challenges of the

profession. This is because ethics, the backbone of journalism, wiII

necessarily be appreciated more by trained journalists and'not intruders

or birds of passage in the profession.

It would be in the interest of the profession to encourage elder or retired

journatists or journalism scholars to partake in workshops, seminars or

talkshops to help the younger ones. In addition to this, they should be

encouraged to write in the nationaf dailies or news magazines. This way,

they would practically impact their wealth of experience to the younger

generations. It is in this sense that recent media workshops in Port-

Harcourt and other parts of Nigeria to educate reporters on reporting on

the legislature, parties etc, is welcome. The wealth of experience of

reporters in other lands would help the Nigerian reporters to address

known areas of deficiency. Proper remuneration and improved

condlt~ons of semce for journalists are necessary to encourage them not

to have divided loyalty. A situation where reporters work only to survive

can be changed when they are better rewarded. In other words, owners of

media houses must pay reporters better or at' least as much as their

counterparts in other professions like medicine, law, etc.

There is no doubt that the political environment affects media credibility.

Autocratic regimes hardly provide a conducive atmosphere for journalists

to operate. Democratic government therefore is ideal for the media to

carry out their assigned roles of informing, educating, sensitizing and

entertaining the society, among others. As stated elsewhere in this work,

a conducive atmosphere does not mean that the media would

automatically get credibility. They must earn it. To earn it they must

work conscientiously holding tenaciously to objectivity, justice and fair

pln).

To earn this according to professor Ralph Akinfeleye in Thisdav of

January 0, 2000; "Our efforts should move more into developmental

journalism, journalism of conscience and not cocktail journalism. I

challenge the Nigerian journalist of the 21" century to first scrub the dirt

in our pot before we can be talking of the dirt in the pots of others

including public officers, public figures and many more." Akinfeleye

added, "cur immediate battle which we should be concerned with is not

and should not always be a war with public oflicers but to a large extent,

the battle with ourselves - with adherence to our code of ethics". The

i m p o ~ ~ ol' this is that, a decent press wouId make more impact on the

public. To fall short of this it would continue to be held in contempt and

thus not make positive impact

Similarly, in an environment where the judiciary lipholds the virtues of

justice, truth and fair play, the reparter would certainly not be afraid of

going befcre the law court even in situations where his news reports are

for the good of society but step on the toes of the highly placed.

On the other hand, reporters must understand that they are simply not

propagandists. They must be friends of all especially those who are law .

abiding but must not allow cronyism to consume them.

Media proprietors must be m ~ d e to understand that journalism is a

profession with ethics and regulatory laws. They must appreciate the fact

that they cannot employ reporters and expect them to operate in total

negation of their professional prescriptions or ethics. But now the only

option for a reporter who must not continue to bury the truth is to quit the

employment of such a media organisation. The reporter needs a greater

number of options than these,quitting should be the last resort. Indeed,

this is why he needs statute. backing which stems from his professional

entitlements and guarantees that are beyond the control of his employer.

Reporting the truth, no matter how drab it may appear at the moment, the

reporter certainly stands to be vindicated by time. Similarly, the reporter

who thinks for the moment, acts for the moment without being mindful of

the truth and objectivity, the watchwords of journalism, can never win

public confidence or credibility.

It therefore bebves the Nigeria Union of Jour'nalists (NUJ) to take the

initiative to launch journalism into a profession whose ethics and

standards of parties are strictly observed by both employers and

journalists for the achievement of a sane society. In other words, those

~ 1 1 0 wish to operate media houses or function as journaIists must be

guarded and guided to ensure that they appreciate the fact that journalism

is not only a calling but a profession.

The emphasis on rejecting quacks and at the same time ensuring that

properly registered journalists, as obtained in other professions like law,

medicine, engineering, etc. are regulated is one way to give journalism its

long desired right of place.

With the NUJ also promising, under the present leadership of Mr. Smart

Adeyemi, to secure a separate salary scale for the profession, better days,

hopefully, lie ahead.

Media regulatory bodies such as MJJ, Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE)

Nigeria Press Council (NPCk elder professionals, institutions, etc. must

highlight these virtues that reporters must imbibe. Regulatory edicts

should emphasis duty to society and ethics above any other

considerations.

As this study stresses, to improve the credibility of the press in Nigeria

the process must start with the reporter, the first gatekeeper. Nigerian

journalists need to be educated about the enormous powers vested on

them such as that in chapter two section 22 of the 1999 constitution

empowering them to be the watchdog of citizens, government and the

society. As the fourth Estate of the realm, they must see themselves not

only as informers, educators and entertainers of society but also as a vital

organ for its growth, peace, other ideals and values.

It needs emphasizing that though the reporter is the starting point to

achieve credibility, as the study shows, the external environment could

and does affect media performance. Those external influences

notwithstanding, the flooding of the media landscape with thorough

breed and conscientious reporters wou!d certainly take the profession out

of the dark days in Nigeria.

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Koss, Stephen, The Rise and Fall of the Political Press in Britain Vol. 1 ; 1981,

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Marvick, Dwain (ed) Political Decision Maker ;Glenme Free Press 1961.

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Pye, Lucian W, Aspect of Political Development, Little Brown, Boston, 1966

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Ways, Max, A Free and Responsive Press: The 20Ih Century Task Force Report, 'I 973 Wilson, Woodrow, in The Artillery of the Press;Harper and Row, New York, 1967

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Newspapers", Gazette 33; 1984

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Commitment In Developing Countries", Communication Abstracts vol.

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Developing An Index" in Journalism Quarterly, Fall 1978.

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m:,WSPAPERS

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Appendix 1

Department of Mass Communication,

University of Nigeria,

Nsukka.

2"" April, 1999

Dear SirNlada~n

I am a post graduate student of the above department currently

doing a research on "Self - Censorship and the Credibility of the

Nigerian Press: An Investigation into the First Gatekeepers7Role".

In order to have a successful research, your co-operation is

needed in filling the accompanying questionnaire.

The study is strictly for academic work. All the information

provided by you shall be held in utmost confidence.

Thanks in anticipation of your co-operation.

Respectfully yours,

TACAIA, WATA PG - MA-97-23736 (Resenrcher)

Appendix 2

Instruction: Kindly answer the following questions car&ully.

I Sex: Male Female

2 Age: 18-30 1 1 . 31-40 1- 41-50

3 . Marital status single Married

4. Qualification FSLC GCE/SSCE 0 Diploma/ONn/NCE /j BSCIBAIT-IND 1 7 MSCMA

5. Years of experience 1-5 6- 10 1-1 I1 and above

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 . How many media houses have.you worked for?,

7 Is your present organisation government -owned?

U e s I 1 No

8 Are you independent in choosing news? yes 1-1 No a 9. If yes, is it public value, organizational, personal interest that

inform your news selection? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10. Are your stories sometimes rejected? Many times T I Sometimes I 1 Never rl

11. If many times, why? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12 Do you write "hot" stories? Yes 1-1 N o [ ]

13 If yes, do you think they are heavily

editzd?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

14 Such (heavily edited) stories are more on government, public

officers or what?.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

15 Precisely, why do YOU control yourself?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

16 State in your opinion, why the Nigerian reporter should have

more rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

17 Is journalism satisfying to you due to respect from society,

economic gains, etc?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . 1 S Please explain if the profession is not satisfying to you

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

19 State if management control, accounts for your self-censorship,

fear of prosecution, harassment, etc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

.........................................................2....................

20 Have you ever "chatted" with the police for your

story?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

21 If yes, how many times? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

22 which do you dread most: having conflict with the law, with

.................................... management or both?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 State reason (s) why you control (censor) yourself..

24 Have you ever been sacked, given a query or warning for the news

story you wrote?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

25 In your opinion, how can the press win public

respect?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I . . . . . .

2 6 Is Journalism your dream profession? yes= No /-I 27 Why'? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

28 Do you intend to leave journalism profession if offered appointment

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . elsewhere?

29 In your opinion, is the Nigerian public served the best news by your

news medium?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

30 Which areas such as news quality, style, etc do want improved on in

your media organisation?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .